Piper PA-18-105 SPECIAL N303T

Summary

On 9 September 2022 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA-18-105 SPECIAL registered N303T was involved in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 September 2022 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Delta Junction, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

63.4254, -145.7447

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-105 SPECIAL

Registration

N303T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1953

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Black Rapids → Fairbanks

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA417

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to depart during high, gusty wind conditions which resulted sink and subsequent impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot planned to depart from a 2,250 ft turf/gravel runway with expected wind conditions of 5 to 10 knots. After he arrived to the airplane, the pilot observed high wind conditions, with gusts to 40 knots. The pilot elected to depart and as the airplane passed over trees during the initial climb, he noticed high, gusty wind conditions, which he made full control inputs to counter. The airplane entered into sink and it subsequently impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and that he should have delayed the departure based on the high wind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.